Help

Newsletter

Rincon restaurant owners indicted on charges of hiring illegals

Savannah Morning News

The owners of this popular Chinese food buffet in Rincon have been arrested and charged by federal authorities for harboring and employing illegal immigrants at their restaurant and residences. (Emily Goldman/Savannah Morning News)

The husband-and-wife owners of a popular Chinese buffet in Rincon have been indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with three counts of harboring and employing illegal immigrants.

Guo Hua Jiang, 36, and his wife, Jian Chun Liu, 36, both of Rincon, were arrested and charged with conspiracy to harbor and employ illegal immigrants, harboring illegal immigrants at their residences and restaurant, and employing illegal immigrants at their restaurant, Hong Kong Buffet.

Edmund Booth Jr., U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, said the indictment also contains a forfeiture count in which the government seeks title to the defendants' two Rincon residences - 407 Roberts Way and 128 Whitehall Ave. - and two vehicles.

An indictment is not a finding of guilt but reflects that enough evidence exists for the case to proceed to trial. If convicted, Jiang and Liu face a maximum statutory penalty of 25 years in prison and a fine of $750,000.

Both defendants also have outstanding orders of deportation, Booth said.

Booth said he could not comment on the circumstances surrounding the arrests, but did say Jiang was in custody.

"Both defendants have been arrested, and Jiang is currently being held in a federally contracted detention facility in the area," Booth said. "His wife is not in custody at this time because they have some minor children that need to be taken care of."

Initial court appearances have not yet been arranged.

"When that hearing is scheduled, the issue of bond will be addressed as well as a number of other things," Booth said.

According to the indictment, both Jiang and Liu have employed one or more illegal immigrants since Feb. 25 to "obtain commercial advantage and private financial gain ... by avoiding tax and Social Security payments, the cost of employee benefits, unemployment insurance, worker's compensation insurance and fair labor standards and wages."

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Effingham County sheriff's officials assisted in the arrests.

"Three search warrants were issued and executed," said sheriff's spokesman Detective David Ehsanipoor. "Two were at local residences, and one was at the restaurant. The subjects were taken into custody at each of the residences."

Booth said the illegal immigrants are being handled by federal authorities.

"ICE officials have detained the 10 illegal immigrants, and all are being processed for deportation back to their home countries," Booth said.

Kenneth Smith, special agent in charge of the immigration agency's office of investigations in Atlanta, also would not comment on the case other than issuing a warning to other business owners.